Box-plaiter.



M. D. DICKMAN.

BOX PLAITER.

APPLICATION man IAN-25. 1911.

1,231, 1 39 Patented June 26, 1917.

IN VEN TOR.

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MARGARET 1). DICKMAN, or DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

BOX-PLAITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Original application filed May 23, 1916, Serial No. 99,282. Divided and this application filed January 25,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARGARET D. DICK- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box- Plaiters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention consists of certain im provements in plaiting devices and relates particularly to such used for forming box plaits in various kinds of cloth. This case is a division of the application filed by me May 23, 1916, Ser. No. 99,282, plaiting devices.

The object is to provide a device of this character wholly manipulated by hand and of simple inexpensive construction.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of a portion of a plaiter embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a 'modifiedform of plaiter, and,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a plaiter embodying my invention and designed for plaiting gored goods. v

1 represents the foundation or base of the plaiter which is preferably composed of a strong piece of fabric, such as heavy muslin or sheeting, or if preferred, may be of rigid construction such as heavy card board or the like.

To this foundation is securely fastened, preferably by a single line of stitching, as at 2, a series of flexible strips 3 composed of strong card board or the like, they being attached through the center line thereof which results in the two sides being free to be raised or lowered, for application of the cloth to be plaited and the insert strips 4;.

The entire plaiter or any part thereof may or may not be covered with a suitable fabric, not shown, but for general use, I would prefer to cover at least the fixed strips and the foundation with a thin strong wearing cloth glued or otherwise securely fastened thereto for prolonging the life of the plaiter and making it more convenient to handle.

The insert strips 4 may be of any desired width less than the distance between the Serial No. 144,389.

rows of stitching which attach the strips 3 to the foundation, said insert strips being of a suitable width to hold the cloth in place beneath the fixed strips and at the same time govern the width of the plait to be made.

It is evident that the distance between the adjacent edges of the fixed strips may be varied which distance governs the distance between the adjacent edges of the plaits in the cloth.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a second series of strips 5 placed directly on top of the strips 3 and fastened thereto by the same row of stitching. These strips being narrower than the strips 3 result in the adjacent edges of the box plaits formed thereover being farther apart than the edges of the intermediate knife plaits which gives the external appearance of a plurality of box plaits and in common practice the insert strips 6 would be the same width as the strips 4 though could be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. These strips could be further duplicated to produce treble box plaits, if desired.

I have illustrated in Fig. 3 the appearance of a box plaiter embodying my invention shaped to form plaits in a gored piece of goods, the strips being narrower at one end than at the other, the object of which is obvious.

In operation, the goods to be plaited is tucked in under the free adjacent edges of the strips 3 and an insert strip 4 placed upon it under the strips when the latter are permitted to assume a normal position resting upon the insert strips with the goods therebetween. After the desired amount of goods is folded within the plaiter the latter may be bodily pressed in the usual manner to fix the desired creases in the goods.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A plaiting device of the character described, comprising a foundation composed of a flexible fabric and a plurality of flexible strips fastened longitudinally of their centers to the foundation and having their adjacent free edges spaced apart as and for the purpose described.

2. A device of the character described, for plaiting cloth, comprising a suitable foundation, a plurality of parallel flexible strips,

means uniting the strips to the foundation and extending longitudinally of the center of the strips whereby the adjacent free edges of the strips are spaced apart, and a single insert strip for each pair edges of the fixed strips for holding the cloth intermediate the edges of the fixed strips and the foundation.

3. A cloth plaiting device of the character described, comprising a flexible foundation, a plurality of flexible strips of different width placed one upon the other and fastened to the foundation longitudinally of their centers forming a plaiting unit a plurality of said units fixed to the foundation parallel. With each other and spaced apart and insert strips for holding the cloth inof adjacent free tcrmediate the adjacent free edges of the strips.

4. A box plaiter for gored pieces of cloth, comprising a suitable foundation, a plurality of flexible strips fastened longitudinally of their centers, upon the foundation, radiating from a common center and having their adjacent edges spaced apart and parallel With each other and means for holding the cloth to be plaited between the foundation and the free edges of the strips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

MARGARET D. DICKlVlAN Witnesses Y L. C. SMITH,

Se. GEO. STEVENS.

Copies of this natent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

